The Duchess of Kent's funeral will take place at Westminster Cathedral on 16 September, and the Catholic service will make royal history. It will be the first Catholic funeral staged for a member of the royal family in modern times. Katharine Worsley, who died aged 92 on 4 September, became the first royal to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, doing so in 1994, and it was her wish to have her funeral at Westminster Cathedral.
Charles II was the last royal to convert to Catholicism upon his deathbed in 1685, according to the Catholic Herald. However, he had an Anglican funeral, which was a subdued affair, due to his conversion. In another significant move, the King, head of the Church of England, will attend, alongside the Queen and other members of the family. Up until 2015, members of the royal family were not allowed to marry Roman Catholics. The Succession to the Crown Act (2013) ended the provisions by which those who marry Roman Catholics are disqualified from the line of succession.
How a new Act changed a royal rule
The Duchess of Kent's brother-in-law, Prince Michael of Kent, forfeited his place in the line of succession through his marriage to Marie-Christine von Reibnitz (now Princess Michael of Kent), who was born a Roman Catholic. This was down to the Act of Settlement 1701, which was designed to secure the Protestant succession to the throne.
© GettyHowever, with the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 coming into force in March 2015, Prince Michael was reinstated to the line of succession, and he is currently 53rd. However, the Act removed the ban on individuals who marry Roman Catholics, though not on Roman Catholics themselves, because the monarch is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
© GettyThe Duchess of Kent's son, Lord Nicholas Windsor, converted to Catholicism in 2001, therefore forfeiting his right to be included in the line of succession. Two of Katharine's grandchildren, Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick and Lady Marina Windsor, were also excluded from the line of succession after converting to the faith.
Funeral details
Buckingham Palace said the Duchess' coffin will be taken by hearse to Westminster Cathedral on Monday – the day before the funeral – where it will rest overnight in the Lady Chapel. After the private service, the coffin will be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, Windsor. The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster will lead the Requiem Mass at the service. In addition to the Cathedral Clergy, the Dean of Windsor will participate in the Mass before accompanying the coffin to Frogmore.
